Shana Priwer - The Everything Da Vinci Book

Dear Reader,

Thanks for picking up The Everything Da Vinci Book! Leonardo da Vinci is one of historys all-time greats, and its not hard to see why. From the Mona Lisa to The Last Supper, Leonardo has left us with some of the most intense, well-known, and beautiful works of art from any historical period.

His contributions to ar t went beyond the artworks themselves. Leonardo da Vinci created or enhanced several techniques, such as sfumato and chiaroscuro, which allowed him to create paintings that were more realistic than anything anyone had ever seen before. Leonardo laid the foundational work for artists after him, and the history of painting was forever changed when Leonardo entered the scene.

But wait, theres more! While youve probably heard of da Vincis most famous works of art, did you know that he also designed the fi rst bicycle, helicopter, and scuba- diving apparatus? His notebooks are full of sketches containing ever ything from automobiles and underwater breathing suit s, to fortres ses and walled cities. His interests were incredibly diverse, as were his talents.

Thanks again, and happy reading!

Editorial

Production

Visit the entire Everything Series atwww.everything.com

THE

DA VINCI
BOOK

Explore the life and times of the
ultimate Renaissance man

Cynthia Phillips, Ph.D., and Shana Priwer

To our children Zoecyn, Elijah, and Benjamin.

Copyright 2006, F+W Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

An Everything Series Book.
Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Publications, Inc.

Published by Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN: 1-59869-101-5

Printed in the United States of America.

J I H G F E D C B A

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Phillips, Cynthia
The everything Da Vinci book / Cynthia Phillips, Ph.D. and Shana Priwer.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-59869-101-5
1. Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452-1519. I. Title: Da Vinci book. II. Priwer, Shana. III. Title. IV. Series.

N6923.L33P53 2006
709.2dc22

2006004159

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the
American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases. For information, please call 1-800-872-5627.

Special thanks to Dr. Marshall Gilula for love and support, and to Raven for proofreading.

Leonardo was born to young unmarried parents, a notary and a local woman.

Leonardo had a habit of never finishing his work. Catholic monks even filed a lawsuit against Leonardo over one painting, the Virgin of the Rocks.

Leonardo planned to build a twenty-five-foot tall bronze horse in honor of one of his patrons. Unfortunately, Milan was invaded before he had a chance to cast it, and the military took his bronze to make cannons instead.

Leonardo was friends with other Renaissance dignitaries, including Niccolo Machiavelli. Leonardo and Machiavelli came up with a scheme to reroute the Arno River.

As a young man, Leonardo was jailed for two months over charges of sleeping with a young male prostitute.

Leonardo was a prolific inventor, and developed designs for the first car, bicycle, and helicopter. He also invented war machines and weapons.

Leonardo came up with a plan to build one of the first mechanical robots.

As a painter, Leonardo made substantial improvements to two major painting techniques, called sfumato and chiaroscuro.

Leonardo was interested in anatomy, and was one of the first to dissect cadavers and make detailed anatomical sketches of his findings.

Leonardo likely had a stroke in 1516, and this event may have caused paralysis of his right hand. Despite this apparent setback, Leonardo remained a prolific left-handed artist in his final years.

EVERYONES HEARD OF Leonardo da Vinci. Hes the master behind the Mona Lisa, and that alone would serve to distinguish an artists career from any other. And when you hear the term Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci is probably the first name to pop into your head. With good reason! Did you know that he was one of the first people to make detailed anatomical drawings? Or that he designed one of the first robots? Leonardo da Vinci was not only an amazing artist, he was also a talented scientist, inventor, and musician. One of his only shortcomings, actually, was that he had more ideas than he could possibly bring to fruition in a lifetime.

By the time he was seventeen, Leonardos artistic talents were becoming obvious, and his father apprenticed him to a leading artist in Florence. Leonardo quickly proved himself, then went on to surpass his master in terms of both skill and execution. He moved from place to place with ease, always striving to prove himself in yet another field.

Throughout his long career, Leonardo worked for everyone from kings and dukes to warlords. He wasnt just a painter, eitherhe traveled as a military engineer with the infamous Cesare Borgia, using his genius to create machines of war. During more peaceful times, Leonardo was fond of making mathematical discoveries, investigating the secrets of the human body, and inventing parachutes. In his spare time, he even came up with plans to divert an entire river!